"If I knew then what I know now....."

"I wish I could go back and tell myself......."

We all have these things we wish we could have warned ourselves about before we experienced them the hard way. Whether it was a doomed relationship, spontaneous tattoo, poor financial decisions or horrendous wardrobe malfunction, everybody has those certain things we wish we could go back and tell our past selves.

I would love to go back and find a younger version of myself to let her know "its not as bad as it seems" at different stages of my life. The first thing I would do is go back to my childhood, find that "jabber jaws child" and tell her....

1. "This will be your greatest strength someday."

You see people don't realize that their criticism sticks with a child. As you grow up being called "Jaws-o-tool" or "motor mouth" you start to feel like what you have to say isn't valued. So you don't say anything at all. You stay quiet until you feel comfortable enough to be yourself around people, that could take weeks, maybe even months. When it does happen, you never quite appreciate the compliments you receive for your thoughts, your communicative skills or your ability to make everyone in a room laugh.

Only in the last few years have I learned that not everyone is going to take you seriously or value anything you say and thats ok. Maybe they don't take you seriously, maybe it does show their lack of interest in you but thats not your concern. Concern yourself with people who value what you have to offer, surround yourself with people of a like mind and watch doors and opportunities open up for you that you never would have gotten with those who did not listen to you when you spoke. "Don't be afraid kid, you are going to make a career out of talking."

2. "You are not as fat as you think you are."

At some point in your life people made you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. Made you hate yourself for not looking like someone else or being as good as someone else. "Kids are cruel", we know but did you ever look back at pictures of yourself and see the indisputable proof that you actually WEREN'T fat? I didn't grow boobs until college, however, while other girls peeked in high school I was beginning to sport the makings of my most noticeable feature.

Unfortunately for me having big hips, thighs and a booty made you a "fat ass" in the non complimentary way. What I lacked in confidence then I more than makeup for now. Junior High and High School are absolute shite years for most of us. I would not go back to those years if you paid me. Who the hell wants to put up with puberty and horrendous social experiences all over again? "Hang in there kid, in about 10 years the things they make you hate about yourself will nab you your first modeling gig and you will have many opportunities to blow them off when they hit on you at bars bc they don't recognize you."

3. "Just wear the damn clothes."

Too often we follow rules of fashion that are set by people we don't even know, people who we don't even know how they became "authorities" on the subject. Sometimes we don't want to accept the things we can not change, like our pants or shirt size. "I wish I was a medium so let me try the medium on....... its too tight. I look fat. Nothing fits!" Here's something most women don't accept; tags don't matter, no one will know you are sporting an x-large. And if they did, who cares? Does it look good? Wear it.

"So-an-so wears a size small, they look better in it than I do blah blah blah." Once you learn to wear what compliments your features, wear what fits you and wear whats comfortable it will not matter if you are wearing the same thing next to a person several sizes smaller. Difference size canvases, use different amounts of paint but they are still considered art.

4. "Someone will like you."

Dating is hard. Its no secret that finding someone who actually wants you for you, to be in a steady relationship with and create a life with is becoming increasingly more difficult. At one point you may have felt even impossible. To use a quote from my favorite movie "For whom could ever learn to love a beast?"

Well let me be the first to tell you, PLENTY OF PEOPLE WILL. So that last guy you liked didn't like you back. Maybe you weren't pretty enough, maybe you weren't slutty enough, maybe you weren't cool enough or maybe just maybe you weren't his type or maybe he wasn't good enough for you? Stop beating yourself up and putting yourself down. You aren't meant to form a romantic bond with everyone you meet. Just because they didn't like you doesn't mean no one else will. Someone will find you attractive. Someone will think you are drop dead sexy as a whole. Someone will feel butterflies because of you.

5. "You got this."

Everything happening for a reason is kind of hard to believe. Some things teach you lessons, while others are just "space fillers" to fill your life in between the next great adventures. Whatever happens though, I'm pretty sure your record for getting through bad times is 100%. You have made it throughout and you prove life goes on. In your best looking comfortable-in-your-own-skin outfit, saying exactly what needs to be said, waiting for that perfect fit-of-a-person you got this.